CA CA - Hinkley, WhtMale UP2510, 12-30, 'DON' belt buckle, Oct'78

[Myrrh]

Bumping case up.
Are there any new rule-outs?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

No new rule outs

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Bumping case up.
I wonder about these missing boys/young men:

NamUs #MP24236
Tony C., 24, missing from WA in June 1975, vehicle abandoned at hotel in WA, 5'6", blond hair

NamUs #MP61209
Donald S., 18, missing after camping in a State Park in Ohio in 1976, 5'6+, Sandy hair

NamUs #MP5787
Paul A., 14, missing after possibly hitchhiking from FL in 1976, 5'4", blond hair

NamUs #MP14013
Rodney G., 14, missing from Oregon in 1977 and foul play is possible, 5'2"- 5'4," Sandy hair

NamUs #MP38270
Frank T, 19, missing from WI in 1977, did not return to his Air Force base, said to have sent a letter home in 1979, 5'6", blond hair

Personally of these, I wonder about Rodney the most. Oregon is near California, stats and date are close enough, IMO. The name Rodney even contains the letters, DON.
Rodney's NamUs link:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

I wonder if he has been ruled-out automatically by DNA or if he was ever compared to the John Doe?

 

[FlyOfDragons]

a Doe Network profile has recently been created for John Doe

4568UMCA​

Date of Discovery: October 08, 1978
Location of Discovery: Hinkley, San Bernardino County, California
Estimated Date of Death: 1978
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction.
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 12 - 30 years old
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 5'5" Measured
Weight: 135 lbs Measured
Hair: Blond/Strawberry, shoulder length.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers​

Dentals: Top left tooth was capped and there were other caps and metal fillings in his teeth.
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Possible belt buckle found.

Circumstances of Discovery​

"John Doe #14-78" was found in a shallow desert grave approximately 2 miles West of Highway 395 near Hinkley, California on October 8, 1978, and in the advanced stages of decomposition. There were no visible scars or tattoos.

Forensic Genealogy​

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department - Central Station
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 909-387-3545
Agency E-mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 94797008

Agency Name: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department - Coroner Division
Agency Contact Person: September Fonzi-Jones
Agency Phone Number: 909-387-2978
Agency E-mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 52061

NamUs Case Number: 2510

Information Source(s)​

NamUs

Admin Notes​

Added: 08/13/2025; Last Updated: 08/13/2025

 

[FlyOfDragons]

regarding the belt buckle -- while i agree that "Don" being short for "Donald" gives us more to go off of, and is perhaps the most likely scenario, i wonder if it's possible that "Don" in this case could instead be like the Spanish-language honorific. i could see it as being a playful nickname, especially if he was close with Hispanic people (or was himself; i know he's estimated to be white and non-Hispanic with blonde hair, but a) race estimates have been wrong before, and b) white Hispanic people exist). he doesn't even have to be Hispanic or close with anyone who was for this speculation to fit, especially given California's large Hispanic population and the state's history, but it's certainly a plus.

or maybe, him being a teenage boy, he started showing interest in girls, and an adult in his life jokingly calls him a real Don Juan. his silly teenage friends catch on and the joke escalates to them getting him that belt buckle. who knows

that all being said, here are some more first and last names that could match with the belt buckle:
Donaghue, McDonald, MacDonald, Ronald (i know of someone who goes by Don as short for Ronald; and/or it could be a being misheard situation), Donovan, McDonough, Donlon

 

[Sweetluv]

Maybe his middle name was Donald. Some people do go by their middle name instead of their first.

 

[FlyOfDragons]

all newspaper reports on John Doe that i could find:

Desert Dispatch 10/9/78

San Bernardino County Sun 10/9/78, 10/11/78

The Victorville Daily Press 10/12/78 [Same text as the SBC Sun 10/11/78]

 

[FlyOfDragons]

this website has some information on Oden Inc. belt buckles

the only references to both "Oden Inc" and "belt buckle" from 1960-1980 on Newspapers.com both just so happen to be from California (specifically Modesto). this one store used the belt buckles in their advertisements a couple times

Modesto Bee 2/3/77 and 5/3/77

ETA the first website I linked states that, "Many different materials and construction methods were used. The most common were plastic or plastic/powdered metal blends that were plated in brass" then includes a photo from the company's "name series." all of the postings for Oden belt buckles i went through on ebay (of which there are a lot) list the material as brass

 

[Caring1]

all newspaper reports on John Doe that i could find:

Desert Dispatch 10/9/78

San Bernardino County Sun 10/9/78, 10/11/78

The Victorville Daily Press 10/12/78 [Same text as the SBC Sun 10/11/78]

Not sure if it’s just me but all links in this post lead to blogger.com. There are no newspaper clippings.

 

[FlyOfDragons]

Not sure if it’s just me but all links in this post lead to blogger.com. There are no newspaper clippings.

lol that's totally my b, sorry about that! i was working on my blog post on the case at the same time and just copied & pasted from there, which usually works but occasionally doesn't. here they are again, hopefully this works. if it doesn't, here's the blog post, b/c ik the links work there lol. sorry about that again!

Desert Dispatch 10/9/78

San Bernardino County Sun 10/9/78, 10/11/78

The Victorville Daily Press 10/12/78 [Same text as the SBC Sun 10/11/78]